


Small Hours Blues

by ann2who, morphia



Series: After Dark [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), First Dates, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Panic Attacks, Tony Has Issues, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-19
Packaged: 2018-04-30 07:44:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5155817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ann2who/pseuds/ann2who, https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphia/pseuds/morphia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony finally get to their date, and immediately find themselves in a curious predicament. Who’s to blame? Steve? Tony? Who cares? Revelations are reached. Confessions are made. And at the end of the night, the small hours darkness might’ve just been the best thing that’d ever happened to them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 6:40 A.M.

**Author's Note:**

> morphia: Steve Rogers  
> ann2who: Tony Stark  
>   
>   
> What will happen the morning after?  
> Will Steve and Tony finally get to their date?  
> Or will they be forced to spend all of their relationship in bed??

*** S. ***

Steve had forgotten to pull the shutters closed. He regretted that only briefly when the light from the window fell on his eyes. He was used to early mornings, and usually didn’t resent a wake up call in the form of sunlight on his face.

His entire body felt loose and slow, and his mind a little bit lazy, if he were honest. He was incredibly warm, and the realization that he had a male body in his arms didn't jostle him at all. He remembered the previous night perfectly.

Tony had come over for a surprise visit. They'd done a fair share of catching up and… _and_ …

Steve hummed low and content, turning his head into the pillow and shifting his hold on Tony a little, his hand sliding ever so slowly along his arm. Tony had been wonderful to him. There was no other way to frame what had transpired last night. It felt almost surreal, but Steve knew he'd heard Tony right before falling asleep, saying that he _loved_ him.

Love. It was such a big word, and yet… for some reason, he knew Tony meant it, he just couldn't say how. They’d barely been doing this for a month, and hadn't even seen each other for most of that time. And yet he felt… a response so powerful to that thought that he was ready to shake Tony awake just to share it with him.

But he knew better. Tony wouldn't react well to being confronted about things he said when he thought Steve was sleeping. He might not deny it, but Steve couldn't predict a reaction either way, and he didn't want to break the spell just for the childish act of asking if Tony really meant it.

He breathed in the scent of Tony's hair and the tangy musk of their love making. His ass felt fine, as he'd expected, which… was a shame. One of the rare opportunities where superhuman healing would get in the way instead of being a massive improvement in his life.

He glanced down to try and glimpse at Tony's sleeping face, but at this angle it was a little difficult. So he resolved to just enjoy all the little things he could notice in this situation, like the way Tony's even breaths tickled his chest, and how their legs were tangled, Tony's weight pressing lightly against him, and the scratchy feel of his beard against Steve's skin.

God, he could lie here forever and not be able to grasp it all at once.

**~ T. ~**

Tony awoke with slow leisure, finding his head pillowed on Steve’s chest, while a pleasant ache lingered in his limbs. There was a deep sense of soreness, his thighs were tender, his insides still warm.

It was the first time Tony woke up completely encased in Steve’s embrace. Their first morning together had been great in its own way, but this… being fully entangled in Steve was something else entirely. He felt so close to him, and it was a sensation he never wanted to forfeit.

Tony opened his eyes for a moment, seeing the light filter into the room. He had no idea what time it was, nor did he particularly care. He was at Steve’s side, and if he’d have any say in the matter, he would stay right here for as long as he could.

Closing his eyes again, he nudged his nose against Steve’s chest, shuffling even closer to him. He was determined to just doze off again, and sleep the day away, when his stomach started growling. Loudly.

After a moment, Tony chuckled lowly, shifting a bit to make the noise stop. His body was half-draped across Steve’s, while his arm simultaneously tightened further around his torso. Tony shifted upwards, drinking in the sight. Steve’s blond hair was ruffled in the aftermath of their lovemaking and wild with sleep.

He was truly beautiful.

Tony smiled at him, feeling the love for this man settle in so deeply in his heart, now, it was becoming harder every second to not just blurt it out.

“Sorry about that,” he mumbled instead, rubbing a free hand over his own abdomen. “Thing has a mind of its own.”

*** S. ***

"Sounds dangerous," Steve teased. He loved feeling Tony's slow, languid waking, and he had the feeling Tony would've loved to stay in bed all day like this, but some things were pressing enough that it just wouldn't do. Breakfast was only one of those things, so Steve leaned over a little to press a kiss to Tony's lips and held him for a brief moment before rolling them over.

"Don't go anywhere," he said, eyes set on Tony's for a meaningful moment, before shifting off of him and out of the bed. He hurriedly pulled on his underwear and headed for the bathroom.

**~ T. ~**

“But morning cuddles,” Tony whined, leaning up a bit so he could eye Steve a bit better. He was shifting his weight easily from one leg to the other, while pulling up his boxer briefs. “ _And_ clothes? No clothes, come on.”

Tony dropped back on the bed, scowling at the little snort from Steve before he vanished behind the bathroom door.

“Traitor!” Tony called after him and rolled onto his stomach. He eyed the alarm clock on Steve’s night stand, groaning when he realized it wasn’t even 7 o’clock yet. There should be _rules_ against being awake this early, after the kind of night that lay behind them.

The sun was casting orange and pink lights through the window, though, so Tony just closed his eyes again, relishing the warmth on his skin.

*** S. ***

After washing up a little and relieving himself, Steve stood in front of the mirror for a long moment, staring at his dishevelled reflection. He had let Tony into his body, Steve thought absentmindedly There was no higher declaration of trust and connection, as far as he was concerned. How did Tony feel about the whole thing? Steve wasn't sure. All he had to go with were words of love uttered in stealth.

A grin broke onto Steve's face, then. A confession to a sleeping man. He shook his head at the sweet memory. That was such a Tony thing to do. Stretching a little, he turned to leave the bathroom and wandered closer to the bed, eyeing Tony's form—draped in his bed covers and still naked—with hunger that would never be properly quenched. "So, breakfast, or more cuddles?"

**~ T. ~**

Tony squinted at Steve with one eye, casting him a crooked smile. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, though, his stomach growled again.

“That means ‘cuddles’,” he said quickly, reaching for Steve with one hand and pouting when he didn’t move one bit. “Come here, I’m not that hungry, really,” he lied, turning around once more until he was lying on his back. He kicked off the covers, completely unconcerned with his nudity. He bent his knees, while stretching his upper body, and running a hand down his chest until the tips of his fingers were lightly skimming his cock.

*** S. ***

Tony was playing dirty, but Steve didn't mind it at all. The look of him, stretching and presenting himself like a prize was making Steve's cock stir with interest.

"Like I could say no to an offer like that…" he said with a crooked smirk as he kneeled on the bed. "We can always eat after."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to Tony's chest, trailing his way to one of those sweet, dusky nipples. He had just flicked his tongue against it, resting a hand on Tony's belly, when a loud growling rumbled through him, reminding him just how empty his own stomach was. He shifted to rub his forehead against Tony's chest. "Or maybe we can do _this_ after we get proper breakfast…"

**~ T. ~**

Tony chuckled and tugged Steve into his arms. “Breakfast it is,” he said, one of his hands slipping around Steve’s upper body and trailing downwards until he’d reached his lower back. He gave his ass a light squeeze, while simultaneously pressing a noisy kiss against his lips.

“Alright, off you go,” Tony said, albeit a bit reluctantly. “Withering away for sex is a noble cause but I prefer to keep you healthy and well nourished.”

*** S. ***

"I won't wither away if we have sex right now, don't be ridiculous," Steve said, giving Tony a stern look that was completely ruined by his huge grin, before pulling back. "You wanna join me in the kitchen or are you going back to sleep?" he asked, and he didn't really mind either way.

**~ T. ~**

“Might as well join you,” Tony said, moving to stand with Steve. He trailed after him through the room, picking up his clothes as they went.

When they descended the stairs a few minutes and a handful of short kisses later, various smells floated in the air, making the empty feeling in Tony’s stomach more pronounced. And though he still felt a little awkward just being back here all of a sudden, joining the others in their daily routine, he would eventually have to brave this if he wanted to be part of the team again.

Natasha was seated at the kitchen counter, idly flipping through the newspaper. There were two unclaimed plates at the counter bar. “Hello there,” she said with a sly smile. “Didn’t know whether or not to expect you today.”

Tony offered a noncommittal shrug. “Thought we’d have to share the love, eventually,” he said, his hand squeezing Steve’s, before he made a beeline for the coffee machine.

*** S. ***

Steve glanced after Tony, before turning to collect the empty plates, carrying them over to the counter.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asked Natasha by way of making small talk as he surveyed the various kitchenware on the counter. There were some pancakes left, still warm, and a mixed salad beside.

**~ T. ~**

“I have a… thing in DC,” Natasha said, while putting her empty plate in the dishwasher. “Minor issue, no need to call in the whole team, but I thought I’d head out early, just in case.” She looked down at her wristwatch and cast them a crooked smile. “Speaking of which—see you later. Oh and Tony…” As she walked around the counter, she came to a stop directly next to Tony, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Glad to have you back.”

“Back? I didn’t—” Tony replied, frowning for a moment. He was about to ask her what she was talking about, before he stopped himself. It was Natasha. What had he expected? Of course she knew he would want to be part of the team again. She’d probably known long before him.

He looked up, pursing his lips as he cast her a meaningful look, part annoyance that he was that easy to read, part gratefulness that she’d done what she’d done. “Yeah, thanks. Glad to be back and all, too...”

Her smile broke into a grin, and she patted him once more, before sauntering to the exit. “Have fun, love birds,” she called, and then she was gone.

Tony huffed, amused, as he looked back up at Steve. “She’ll gloat about that forever.”

*** S. ***

"Probably," Steve said as he looked after Natasha. She might have an edge on Tony, he thought, but it seemed she liked him well enough to not use it.  

"Anyway, we have some pancakes and salad here." He pointed at the dishes. "Or you could wait until I get something else ready. Or both."

As his eyes fell on Tony again, he couldn't help that overwhelming surge of affection towards him. He looked so wonderfully ravished, even after they'd had a good night's sleep. He was carrying himself like he was having a constant muscle ache, the kind you get from good exercise. Steve wanted to do so many other things with him.

**~ T. ~**

“I’m not picky. Whatever you’ll make sounds great,” he said, while he grabbed for a mug, still waiting for his coffee to brew. He cast Steve a carefree smile. “I can help you, but fair warning, I tend to set things on fire a lot. There might even have been an explosion involved in Malibu, once, but that was completely JARVIS’ fault for not warning me in time.”

*** S. ***

At the mentioning of JARVIS’ name, Steve had a somewhat bizarre sensation. And he knew without the shadow of a doubt that Tony would be experiencing it too. Before, JARVIS would’ve never skipped a mentioning of his name without chiming in some sort of input. Especially when the opportunity to tease Tony came up.

With that in mind, he sent a glance in Tony's direction and sighed.

"I don't need help," Steve said after a moment as he moved to open the fridge and retrieve a few items. "But you can assist me anyway, if you like." He considered the stuff he'd retrieved, ordering all the ingredients on the counter.

**~ T. ~**

Tony paused when he noticed Steve’s expression going blank for a second. It took him a moment before he realized what the thoughtful frown on his face was about, and when he did, he felt a weirdly warm feeling spread through his body.

Taking a first—heavenly—sip from the coffee, Tony walked up behind Steve, leaning up a bit to put his chin on Steve’s shoulder.

He took a low breath, head dipping so he could press a soft kiss against Steve’s neck. “You know… back in the old days, when we’d just met,” he told him quietly, as if sharing a well-hidden secret. “When we went all alpha male whenever one of us opened his mouth? I might’ve trash-talked about you a lot, at home. And... JARVIS always suggested my frustration with you might have something to do with how much I let you get under my skin.”

He wound an arm around Steve, stepping even closer while carefully balancing the cup of coffee so it wouldn’t spill over. He let his lips brush along Steve’s throat, inhaling his scent so he would never forget this moment again. “Looks like he was right about that.”

*** S. ***

Steve reached to caress over Tony's wrist at his waist, his fingers light against Tony's skin. He hummed his understanding, then leaned a little back.

"You miss him, don't you?" he asked quietly, trying to not disturb the mood. With Tony pressed up against his back, Steve didn't think the atmosphere could be ruined so easily, but weirder things had happened. He let his fingers wrap around Tony's wrist and pulled up his hand to kiss his fingertips.

**~ T. ~**

Tony pressed his forehead against Steve’s shoulder blade, feeling the echoes of his strong heartbeat where their joined hands were now nestled against Steve’s chest.

“He was always there,” he said softly, his voice even. He didn’t feel particularly sad about the whole thing—JARVIS was still there, after all, just… he’d evolved, outgrown his own self, and sometime in those last months, Tony had mostly made his peace with it.

The sentimental part of him had always known that JARVIS was meant for more than being his robot butler.

“He was there for all of the not-so-nice parts of my life. I mean, the other AI back-ups have one hundred percent the same programming as JARVIS had, but it’s… not the same. It’s not bad, it’s just… the longer he’s gone, the more I realize JARVIS was a one-of-a-kind kind of guy.”

*** S. ***

Steve tightened his hold on Tony's hand. He then turned his head a little so he could peck his cheek. "He really was, we all knew that," he said, letting his fingers run soothingly along Tony's forearm.

"By the way… I think Vision is closer to JARVIS than FRIDAY is," he mused, and that was the honest truth. He'd had some interaction with FRIDAY, and it felt like he was talking to a less sympathetic, flatter version of JARVIS. It wasn't bad, the functionality was there, and everything worked properly, but those random jabs were missing. "But, to be fair, I miss him too."

**~ T. ~**

“Yeah?” Tony asked with a low chuckle. “Glad to hear it’s not just me.”

He didn’t fool himself. When it came to the Vision, Tony knew there were a thousand things he would never understand. Everything he and Bruce had done that day had been a purely scientific effort, but the outcome had been far beyond that, and completely out of Tony’s reach.

The Vision wasn’t JARVIS. Maybe in parts, but it wasn’t the same.

Then again, maybe it didn’t have to be. Maybe he just needed to make an effort to get to know the person JARVIS had become. After all, the thing between him and Steve had seemed impossible at first, too. And now here they were.

Maybe he just needed to give it a try.

“He never would’ve let me live this down,” Tony said after a beat of silence, huffing in amusement. “You, me, together. His processor would’ve combusted with the need to come up with something more original than ‘I told you so’.”

*** S. ***

Steve merely laughed at that as he pulled Tony's hand up to kiss it again before letting go in favor of getting on with making breakfast. It didn't take very long, and answering Tony's various questions about the process proved to be fun, too.

Soon after, they had the two plates full of bacon and eggs, with a side of pancakes and salad. "Grab the sauce, will you?" he asked, nodding his head in the direction of the next shelf.

**~ T. ~**

Tony trailed in the direction Steve was pointing at and grabbed the sauce, as well as knives and forks for the both of them. When he turned around, Steve had already arranged everything.

Tony sat down on the opposite side of the table, smiling lowly. This was… strangely domestic. But Christ, it felt good. Natural. Calm. Easy. Nothing seemed rushed, like there was actually time to enjoy just being here instead of the usual need to make the most of it while he could.

At first bite of the scrambled eggs, an approving and decidedly obscene sound left Tony’s lips. “Strong, handsome, _and_ a chef. If you don’t watch out, I might not let you go again,” he mumbled, bowing his head a little.

*** S. ***

"I'm counting on it," Steve heard himself say before he could think better of it. It was… too much, wasn't it? He glanced briefly at Tony but couldn't quite read his reaction. He was smiling absently with the fork in his mouth, but that was all. Steve took a steadying breath then and turned to dig in. He couldn't deny that he was pretty much starving at this point.

**~ T. ~**

Tony smiled to himself, savoring his next bite while gauging his words carefully. It was… stupid, somehow, his sudden need for a label, and he _was_ aware of that. _But_. Nearing his fifties, Tony was apparently becoming the kind of guy who needed to put a name on something or else he’d go insane.

“Better be careful what you wish for, Rogers,” he said, grinning lightly. “I tend to go overboard with things, I might become one of those horrible people who go around all day, talking everyone’s ears off about their awesome superhero-boyfriend.”

*** S. ***

It was stupid, okay? Silly even, but Steve didn't really care, and even if he had, there would be no way for him to stop the flood of happiness inside. He'd stopped hoping, at one time, that he'd ever find anyone to call his boyfriend, or girlfriend for that matter. He'd contented himself to a life of fighting the good fight and having no one to come home to. And he’d been fine with that.

Or well, he'd thought he was, but apparently not. Apparently all it took was some horizontal messing about with Tony Stark, and he was completely gone. And being referred to as Tony's boyfriend…

"I wouldn't be, uh… opposed to that." _In fact, I want it so much._ Steve wasn't even looking at Tony, turning to shovel food into his mouth so that he wouldn't spew anything more embarrassing. By the time he swallowed, he'd come up with something a little more refined to add to that. "But just so we're clear, I'm not a big fan of stuffed animals."

**~ T. ~**

There were about two seconds of undisturbed bliss, with Tony’s mind floating off to a space where Steve had actually just agreed to go steady, before his words registered with him.

Great. Of course Pepper would’ve told Natasha.

Tony put his fork down with a loud clatter, casting Steve an unimpressed glare. “It _was_ a grand gesture, okay? Grand gesture, grand fucking bunny. Not my fault you’re all not broad-minded enough to grasp the deeper meaning behind it. See if I get you anything more original than your standard fragrance for our anniversaries, now, _sweetheart_.”

*** S. ***

"Grasp the deeper meaning behind a huge stuffed bunny?" Steve scrunched his nose, though he was still smiling. "Who even gets something like that for their sweetheart? It's completely ridiculous."

He paused, considering. "If we do get to celebrate any anniversary, let me tell you upfront that I want _no_ grand gestures." He considered if he should say anything more. "I'd rather we just… arrange something, just for the two of us." How exactly did he even get to the point where he was talking to Tony about anniversaries, again?

**~ T. ~**

"No ridiculousness, got it," Tony said, frowning a bit, before looking away. He couldn’t quite keep the somber tone out of his voice. He’d tried changing for Pepper, and while he knew he was sometimes leaving the path of common sense and just going for what felt right… he didn’t know if he could do that again.

He put a smile on his face, pointing his fork towards the plate. "This is really good, I... didn't get to eat home cooked food in a while. It tastes great."

*** S. ***

Steve wasn't sure what had put Tony off. He didn't think he'd been teasing him that harshly, but maybe he'd stumbled upon a sore spot? He was about to ask when Tony put on that smile Steve hated, the one that Tony used to hide all other emotion, and complimented him on the food.

"I'm glad you like it," he said, smiling back, before tentatively reaching over to touch Tony's hand. "You alright?"

**~ T. ~**

Tony looked at Steve for a long, reflective moment before nodding his agreement. “Yeah, all good,” he replied, and—it was. If he just needed to tone down his antics a bit to make this work… It was a small price to pay if it meant he’d get to be with Steve. And if Steve got fed up with him, after all, well… at least they’d tried, and it couldn’t really get worse than his life had been after Ultron.

He turned his hand around, linking his fingers with Steve’s. They both stopped eating at some point, and Steve looked at him with a matching frown on his face.

Tony sighed. He was already making things difficult, wasn’t he?

*** S. ***

"You can tell me, you know," Steve said, trying to find the right way to coax Tony to tell him what was wrong. "We're on the same team…"

And it would be true, wouldn't it? If they were really going to go for this thing that was building between them, they needed to have each other's backs and they needed to be able to talk things out if they wanted to make it work.

Watching the liquid depths of Tony's eyes, Steve knew he was going to do whatever it took to keep this. Even if things with Tony could get difficult, occasionally—he was never one to back away from a challenge.

**~ T. ~**

Tony heaved a long breath, feeling disheartened all of a sudden. He pulled his hand back after squeezing Steve’s lightly, and instead rubbed his forehead for a moment. “There’s… reasons, why Pepper broke up with me. The damn bunny was just a drop in the ocean of all reasons. And I guess it’s just fair to warn you that I’m…” He cleared his throat, putting the fork down for good, his appetite fading. “I’m not an easy man to deal with, in the long run. And you might think my eccentricity is charming now—which is still surprising to me, by the way—but… people tend to find it less charming the longer they know me and I’m…” A sigh. “I _am_ the sort of guy who buys ridiculous stuffed bunnies because thanks to a weird train of thought, I actually thought it was a good idea at the time, and I will try to get it right, but—I won’t, not always, it’s just… the way I am.”

He smiled weakly. That had not been what he’d had in mind for this day. There should’ve been kisses and a real fucking date, for once, and now he was—what—persuading Steve that being with him wasn’t a good idea?

*** S. ***

Steve lifted his brows when Pepper's name came up and his expression grew more wondering when Tony chose to use a word as strong as ‘warning’. It took some effort to not let out a surprised laugh at some of the things Tony said, but Steve braved it. He watched Tony intently, seeing how serious he was about it. He was trying to look out for Steve, was that it?

When he was sure Tony was done talking, Steve reached over and took Tony's hand again in both of his, letting his thumbs run along the back of it.

"I'm not other people, Tony," he said first, seeking Tony's eyes with his own. "And I know who you are, this is what I'm signing up for." He paused, considering his words. "You know who I am, too. If you sign up for it, I'll be expecting you to put in the effort." He reached for the fork and handed it to Tony. "Whatever happens, if I know you're in it like I am, we can make it work."

**~ T. ~**

Though it had happened several times in those past few weeks, Tony found himself overwhelmed with a powerful wave of emotions that astoundingly didn’t knock him to the ground. Every time he looked at Steve and saw him looking back with open affection, he was sufficiently stunned.

After everything that had happened between them lately, everything he had done, or failed to do, that Steve could still look at him with acceptance…

Surprise was too inadequate a word. Tony didn’t understand it, and naturally, things he didn’t understand scared him shitless.

Shaking his head once, Tony decided to drop all of those thoughts then and there because there was no problem to solve, yet. They were doing fine, and Steve wanted this, and he wouldn’t fuck it up before it even started.

He twirled the fork between his fingers for a moment, before he leaned up and pulled Steve in for a kiss with a hand on his neck. Lingering for a moment, tracing Steve’s lips with his own, Tony knew it would all be worth it. “I’m also stupidly insecure, sometimes. I’m in it, of course I am.”

*** S ***

Steve smiled at that last admission, licking his lips appreciatively. Well, he couldn't say he didn't know the feeling, though it was a little surprising to find the eccentric, always-has-a-comeback Tony Stark was as insecure as the next guy.

"Good to know," he said, lifting his own fork and pointing at Tony's plate with it. "Now finish breakfast." He smiled. "I got plans for us after this."

**~ T. ~**

“Plans?” Tony asked, and his face relaxed into a real smile. Steve was still looking at him with those ridiculously blue eyes, and there was something in that expression, something sweet and wonderful, that made Tony feel strangely warm.

Tony took another bite, feeling a bit more like himself again. “You mean we’re braving the dating-thing again? Bold move. Assuming the world won’t open up and swallow us, as soon as we step out of here—what did you have in mind?”

*** S ***

"Nothing fancy, don't get your expectations too high," Steve said, still smiling fondly at him. "I was thinking we could go back to bed, finish what we started…" He paused, casting Tony a suggestive look. "And after that, maybe catch a movie in the media room, or we can go for a little walk on the premise." He considered for a moment, then nodded his head. "We usually train twice a day, but I'm sure the team won't mind having the morning off, and Natasha can take over later."

**~ T. ~**

“Back to bed, that’s a big… _big_ yes,” Tony said, grinning at Steve widely. “A _walk_ , though,” he echoed, chuckling lightly. Of course Steve would think of something as simple as a movie and a bit of fresh air. Strangely enough, it sounded perfect.

He’d already finished breakfast and put his hand on Steve’s once more, brushing a thumb over the back of his hand. “Well, at least there’s nothing that could go wrong with _that_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There really is nothing that could go wrong with a simple walk.
> 
> Right?
> 
> RIGHT??


	2. 18 hours later, 2.30 A.M.

**~ T. ~**

“Hey Steve,” Tony called, his robotic voice layered with a hollow echo as the words bounced off the stone walls. The room was small, then. Tony sighed and pulled off his helmet, before leaning his head against the dusty brick wall he was sitting up against.

It was dark, really fucking dark, and the suit’s repulsor lights were almost completely dimmed due to the oily fluids that the _thing_ had dumped on him. God, he really hated dark, confined spaces. And he hated being slimy, and sweaty, and all-over gross.

Going back into the superhero business? Great idea. Great idea, indeed.

Tony tried to ignore how hard his heart was hammering inside the suit, but it was no use. Everything had happened so fast, too goddamn fast, and the adrenaline of the battle was still steadfastly pumping through his veins.

“Remember how I said nothing could go wrong with a little walk? Forget that. Seriously forget it. And forget about dates, too, we’re fucking horrible at it.”

 

*** S ***

Thanks to the serum, Steve had excellent night vision, and despite the dimness, he could see—not perfectly, but probably better than Tony. He turned to look at him from where he was perched against the wall, still catching his breath. The collapse had been unexpected, and he was worried about Tony.

Sure, he was also considering arguing with Tony about safety regulations, but that was something—he realized upon hearing Tony's voice—that would have to wait for later.

The whole battle had been taxing for Tony, Steve mused as he watched him struggling for breath and taking off his helmet. He'd seen the haunted look on his face when the details of the emergency had come in and they went to suit up. It was amazing he'd held out this long.

And then Tony said the most unexpected thing, making Steve's breath hitch on a startled chuckle. Their bad luck with dates seemed to be a thing, although Steve couldn't say _why_. The rest of the plans had gone through with no difficulties, but as soon as they tried to step out of the facility for that walk…

"Gotta admit it’s looking a little suspect," he said, listening to Tony's heaving breaths. "Do you need anything?" he asked tentatively, shifting a little to get closer.

 

**~ T. ~**

“Single malt scotch, no ice,” Tony said, pressing his eyes closed. There was no difference, anyway. It was dark, pitch black, almost, and even though he could hear Steve moving, he couldn’t see him.

He tried tossing Steve a dry grin, but he figured that was lost in the darkness, too. They’d just stepped into the basement before the building had suddenly collapsed in on itself, which means they had still been fairly close to the building’s entrance and all in all, it didn’t look all that bad. The others did have their location and would find them in three to five hours, maximum. The room might’ve been small but there should be at least air for about ten hours, assuming there wasn’t any air supply.

Really, the situation might not be pleasant, but this was no life-or-death sort of thing. It would be fine. _They_ would be fine. He just needed to keep his cool, and not think about how fucking dark it was.

 

*** S ***

"I think the wet bar is… not on this side of the wall." Steve decided against trying to touch Tony, not wanting to startle him when he looked so shaken, but he did want to help Tony somehow. He sat down next to him, looking for any signs of injury.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked. He couldn't see well enough to really know, and besides, the armor would've hidden most of anything.

Why had they even gone into this building in the first place? It had all been nicely wrapped up after the big fight, and there was only the matter of evacuating the buildings, but this one had been empty. Why had they gone in?

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony released a little manic chuckle at Steve’s comeback and shook his head. “No, I’m good—not hurt,” he supplied while opening his eyes and yes, it was still completely fucking dark. He could’ve sworn that he saw Steve’s eyes flickering over his body thoughtfully, but that might’ve just been wishful thinking. He couldn’t see a damned thing.

Breathing was becoming a problem, and while he knew it wasn’t the suit that caused the pressure on his lungs right now, he still needed to get out of it. Right now.

“Just let me…” he said, pressing his fingers against both of the suit’s sides and triggering the manual opening mechanism. It didn’t go as smoothly as it usually did, so there might be some dents after all, but after a few moments, he was moving out of the suit.

It didn’t help. Made things worse, actually. He fell forward on his hands and knees, hanging his head down. “Shit,” he breathed, shaking his head in hope of getting rid of the memories. “I’m having—just give me a minute. _Shit_.”   

 

*** S ***

Steve hesitated. He did because he knew a panic attack when he saw one. He'd had quite a few before the serum, and he'd been lucky because Bucky had usually been there to help him through it, but for the life of him Steve couldn't remember _how_ he'd done it. He was feeling uneasy as well, but the magnitude was vastly different.

When Tony stumbled out of his suit, though, Steve had moved before he knew it, kneeling before him and resting both hands on his shoulders, leaning down close so Tony'd have no choice but to look at him.

"Tony," he said, forcing as much of his own worry out of his tone as he could. "You need to breathe through it. Can you do that for me?"

**~ T. ~**

“It’s the damn portal,” Tony wheezed, trying to meet Steve’s eyes but everything was just too fuzzy. He had trouble staying upright and after a bit of struggling just collapsed against Steve’s chest, pushing his face against him.

“I didn’t have—I was over it, fuck, I was over it for good, and then the damn _thing_ came out of the damn _portal_ and it’s dark, why is it so dark—I think we’re in a fucking _broom closet_.”

 

*** S ***

Steve immediately wrapped his arms around Tony when he fell forward, there was nothing he could do for him but listen at this point, but when Tony bemoaned the darkness, Steve's hold tightened momentarily.

"Maybe. Does it matter?" he asked quietly next to Tony's ear. "You got this portal closed, and we got rid of those things. The fight is over." He ran a slow, soothing hand up and down Tony's back. "And if you need some light, just say the word. I still have the miniature lamp you gave me..."

 

**~ T. ~**

“Please,” Tony said, feeling small and vulnerable, and hating himself for it. He took hold of Steve’s uniform, pressing against him. Steve’s breaths were slow and even and Tony tried to mimic the movements, finally managing to pull air into his lungs.

 

*** S ***

Shifting his hold on Tony so that he maintained as much contact as possible while freeing one hand. Steve then reached into one of the pouches on his utility belt and pulled out a small, flat device. He set it on the floor next to them and flicked it with his forefinger once. It switched on with a single chirp, and cast a light that might not have been too significant in full daylight, but was making it easier even for Steve to see.

He could finally see the details of the suit left behind, and when he moved to enwrap Tony in a hug once more, he rested his forehead against the Tony's shoulder. "Better?"

 

**~ T. ~**

“Yeah,” Tony replied, his voice still shaking, but he slowly got a hold of himself. Minutes passed by, and eventually, Tony managed to turn his head so he could focus on the light while slumping completely against Steve.

The light didn’t quite manage to illuminate the whole room, but Tony could see they were indeed inside some sort of maintenance room, with lots of shelves and boxes. With a quick glance, he confirmed that the ceiling looked like it’d be holding up just fine and they were in no immediate danger.

“Cuddles and dimmed light,” Tony mumbled after a minute. “If we ignore the slime-monster from outer space and my little freak out, we might as well call this our first date.”

 

*** S ***

Not convinced that Tony's attack was truly over yet, Steve nodded his head with a small huff. "It beats most of my previous dates," he said, and it was true.

Even though the circumstance of their predicament could've been easily avoided.

 

**~ T. ~**

"Are _you_ okay?" Tony asked after another moment, realizing that he hadn't even asked yet. It had been such a close call. The ceiling had suddenly crumbled with chunks of stone falling down on them. Tony had only barely managed to fire up his foot thrusters and bring them both in here.

If the room hadn't been reinforced, they both would've likely died. All because Steve hadn't let him go in by himself. Alone, Tony had calculated a solid seventy percent chance that he could sweep in real quick, scan the whole basement, catch any person who was left behind, and fly out again before the building would’ve given way.

With Steve trailing after him, however, demanding over and over again that he’d go in instead of Tony, that plan had well and truly gone down the gutter.

Tony bit his lower lip in irritation and leaned back a little, letting his gaze drift over Steve's uniform. No red spots and no deeper cuts, that was a good sign. "You didn't get hit, did you?"

 

*** S ***

Steve took a moment to assess his own situation. Now that Tony's calculating look was back, he felt a little more at ease engaging him in actual conversation. He hadn't gotten hit, though he did get a decent smack to the head when Tony tackled him out of harm's way.

"I'm alright," he said, pulling slightly back to look at Tony's face more easily. He looked… shaken, but back to normal mostly. "Thanks for that last minute save."

 

**~ T. ~**

“Yeah, no problem,” Tony replied, eyes roaming Steve’s face. His skin was stained with dust and grime, and the upper part of his uniform seemed to have been hit with a few droplets of the same oily fluid that had been dumped on Tony at some point before they’d effectively killed the whatever-monster-it-was. Steve looked fine, all things considered, and yet… it had been a close call. And a completely unnecessary one, too.

For a second, Tony considered keeping his mouth shut, relishing in the fact that they had both miraculously survived this stupid stunt, and yet, he couldn’t help but go for the dig. “Of course, you shouldn’t have come in here in the first place, but I guess even you got that memo, now.”

 

*** S ***

Oh. Right. Tony was definitely out of the woods now. Steve grit his teeth a little and pulled back, getting to his feet in the process. " _I_ shouldn't have come in here? That's what you've got for me?"

For fear of making anything collapse more than it already had, Steve made no sharp movements, didn't let his tone of voice change, but he was immediately peeved. "How about _you_ should've stayed back and let _me_ do this instead?"

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony huffed sardonically as he stood up as well. “Excuse me, but what part of ‘flying suit of armor’ didn’t you understand, exactly? I just needed to get in, scan the damned basement—which was empty, by the way—and fly out again. Easy. If you hadn’t trailed after me, neither of us would be here now.”

 

*** S ***

" _You_ would be here!" Steve shouted back. He hadn't meant to, but Tony's crass, almost intentional overlooking of the reason the building finally gave way was driving him out of his mind. "Your suit is too massive! And you might not even have survived the collapse! I could’ve come in, do a quick sweep and come back out without ever disrupting what little structural integrity this building had left!"

 

**~ T. ~**

The startled humor behind Tony’s snicker rivaled the irritation brewing inside of him, but he fell to sarcasm rather than anger. It was his thing.

“Yeah, because I have no idea how to go about this without tackling the ‘structural integrity’, sure,” Tony retorted dryly. “Who of us has a PhD in engineering physics again? Also, my suit isn’t massive, it’s sleek and graceful, thank you very much.”

 

*** S ***

"It can be ‘sleek and graceful’ however much you want, but it's still made of the strongest alloys you can make in your shop and I _saw_ the crack in the support beam on the way in. That was your _graceful_ suit, Tony. I can't believe you're bringing your PhD into this argument like it would _matter_ what kind of stuff you know if something happened to you!" His tone was rising.

Goddammit, he shouldn't be yelling at Tony in this situation but it seemed he couldn't help himself.

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony arched a brow and leaned back. The cold wall against his shoulder was suddenly comforting in a bizarre way. This was getting a bit out of hand, wasn’t it? But Steve was _wrong_ about this, and if he was going to pull these stunts every time they stepped out on a mission together, it _would_ go wrong one of those days.

“Look, you can’t deny that I was best qualified to do a quick scan of the perimeter. It would’ve taken you _forever_ to check every single room in this basement. And anyway, the suit can withstand a lot of pressure, even if the whole building toppled down on me, I would’ve had about a fifty fifty chance of survival. _You_ , on the other hand—”

 

*** S ***

" _A fifty fifty chance is not good enough!"_ Steve exploded at him. How could Tony not understand how awful what he was suggesting was?

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony’s eyes narrowed. Apparently, he’d hit a nerve, but so had Steve. “It’s still better than yours!” he snapped, pointing a finger at him. “Serum or not, this would’ve gotten you killed, one-hundred-fucking-percent, Steve. I was looking out for you, why are you so goddamn angry?”

 

*** S ***

"Because I don't want to lose you!" _I can't_ he thought, feeling a sour tightening in his throat at the mere thought of it. He was glaring at Tony, daring him to say something to rile him up more.

 

**~ T. ~**

There was a heavy pause, Steve’s eyes shining with hurt. Immediately, the anger in Tony drained and he ran a hand through his messy hair.

He knew it was sort of a dick move to ask Steve to elaborate on this in the middle of a fight, but Tony had never said he’d play fair. “Why not?” he asked quietly, his tone soft. He didn’t want to fight anymore. If Steve felt about risking Tony’s life the same way Tony did with Steve’s, they were at a clear stalemate.

And neither of them was known to budge from what they thought was the right decision.

 

*** S ***

The quiet question stopped Steve. He was still storming inside with anger and disbelief at Tony's disregard of his own safety. It was true, a small voice in his head said, that if the building had collapsed on him, Steve was not as likely to survive it as Tony was, but the odds weren't stellar for either of them, really. He did think he would've made it to a safe pocket like this one, while Tony would've likely been stranded in his suit, which Steve couldn't even bear to think of, considering the anxiety attack Tony'd just had.

"Why not…" he repeated, staring at Tony in mild disbelief that he would actually ask that so plainly. "Because I love you, that’s why."

And it wasn't a confession so much as it was a simple statement.

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony blinked. The words registered with him, but he couldn’t… Steve actually _loved_ him?

It was a bit crazy, wasn’t it? Tony had hoped for some sort of assurance. A ‘Because your life matters to me’ or something equally genuine and heartfelt that could only come from _Steve_. He’d sort of hoped to put an end to their fight like that. He’d wanted Steve to realize that they had both just wanted to look out for each other and that’s what teammates did so: No harm done, right?

_Right_. Cautiously, Tony met Steve’s eyes again, and he was completely overwhelmed in his confused compassion. Steve _loved_ him? Just like that, some final barrier was crossed. They’d both stumbled headfirst into this, not holding back and therefore falling so fast it was a bit dizzying. And maybe they really _had_ been heading towards this for far longer than Tony had realized.

If there hadn’t been some sort of feelings already, they both likely wouldn’t have just dropped all reservations and stumbled into bed together.

Tony’s heart was pounding for real now, and then he couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward to wrap both arms around Steve’s shoulders, sealing the space between them. He released and airy, disbelieving chuckle, and pressed his face against Steve’s neck—for once, not knowing what to say at all.

 

*** S ***

The silence stretched on and Steve was starting to wonder if maybe it was actually a bad idea to say this right now, even though it was the truth, and the first thing that had come to mind, but before he could really question himself, Tony moved. Tony moved and was _hugging_ him and Steve felt the wonderful way their bodies pressed together. His own arms immediately moved to wrap around Tony's waist, anchoring him close and leaning his head down to smell his shampoo—Steve's shampoo, he realized with a sense of warmth he couldn't explain.

They weren't fighting anymore, though, so that was good. Steve, even as he had been shouting, felt pretty awful for it. He had just been so upset that Tony would risk himself like this, even though he himself was as willing to do so… Well. They were going to have to find a way to handle this tendency they both seemed to share. He decided against saying anything, letting their contact convey what he felt.

 

**~ T. ~**

They stayed like that for a whole long while, curled in each other’s arms, before Tony released a trembling sigh and brushed a kiss against Steve’s throat. “I’m, uh… exceedingly bad at feelings,” he started, clearing his throat, because he owed Steve an answer, even if he couldn’t simply repeat those words in kind. “Train-wreck-terrible, really, but, yeah, l’m… there with you. Same page.”

Tony cringed, and he was probably making it worse instead of actually confessing what he felt, but he couldn’t really do better. Not yet.

 

*** S ***

Steve just hugged him, and when Tony's voice faded, he finally kissed his cheek. "You don't have to say anything back."

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony nodded, grateful. “I don’t wanna fight,” he said after a long moment of companionable silence, gauging his words carefully so he wouldn’t set Steve off again. “I just… can’t really apologize for wanting to keep you safe. Someone had to check the place, and FRIDAY did the math and my chances to get out in time were simply better than yours. I just… went with it. You mean so much to me, it was a no-brainer.”

He leaned back to look into Steve’s eyes, framing his face with both hands. Unbidden, a smile rose to his face, probably way too giddy and way too much in love, because Steve was right there with him and that was probably the greatest thing that had ever happened to Tony. “But I, uh, guess we have to up our communication skills, discuss things openly, and all that.”

God, Pepper would’ve been so proud of him for that sentence alone.

 

*** S ***

Steve didn't have FRIDAY to tell him the odds and the statistics. He counted on his perception and his gut feeling. He'd very rarely been wrong in his assessments, but preferred to not bring that up. He wasn't too keen on fighting, either, and Tony was proving… less difficult to deal with, in a sense. Steve could feel it, if not for what he said then for his gestures. Tony's hands on his face, his gentle demeanour, were all quite pleasant.

Steve nodded his head and then reached up to take one of Tony's hands in his. "We have time to work on that."

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony nodded, leaning in further and pressing his lips against Steve’s—cautiously at first, in case it wasn’t really okay yet. After a moment, though, a smile stretched Steve’s lips, and he tended to Tony’s with a gentle kiss.

“You love me,” Tony murmured against Steve’s mouth, their noses brushing against one another. He laughed, good-naturedly, breathing Steve’s air, and breathing him in all at once. “Seriously, sometimes I think this is reverse-world and we’re still back on that carrier, shouting at each other about bottles and wires.”

 

*** S ***

Shaking his head, Steve gave a faint shrug. "Not my business what I'm doing in other realities," he said, smiling with mischief. "Though if I'm busy fighting you, then clearly I'm missing out." He cupped the back of Tony's head and nuzzled his cheek. "This is much better."

 

**~ T. ~**

“It is,” Tony agreed, grinning crookedly. “Reverse-me is a complete douche and clearly has no idea what’s beneath those uniform pants. Here-me, on the other side, is very appreciative of what he has.” Tony’s mouth dipped to nip at Steve’s jaw line while he moved forward, crowding his space and trailing a hand down towards his groin.

 

*** S ***

Humming, Steve smiled privately, then reached down to cover Tony's hand just as it reached his crotch. The warmth of it was already sipping through but Steve had things on his mind that needed to be taken care of, first.

"Tony," he breathed next to his cheek. "Hey…" He pulled Tony's hand away gently, letting out a slow, steadying breath and tilting his head as though to indicate their location and predicament. "We need to at least look at what we've got here before I can commit to…" He trailed off, and when Tony raised an amused brow in question, he humped a little against Tony's hip for emphasis.

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony smirked at Steve’s words. He was right, of course, Tony berated himself. They _had_ been buried beneath a smallish skyscraper, after all. And while things looked to be pretty stable, he should be checking—just to be sure. There were things to do, too, and all of those had nothing to do with getting naked right now.

Which was a shame.

“Yeah, that’s… reasonable,” Tony conceded with a nod, taking a small step back. “I swear to God, being near you is turning me into a teenage-hormone-bomb, again.”

 

*** S ***

Steve lifted both hands with mock apology. "No complaints here." He then let his hands fall to the sides and looked around at the space they were stranded in. He'd done a short sweep just after the collapse, but got distracted with Tony's attack and all that happened after that.

"See if you can get FRIDAY to contact our guys outside? They saw us going in so I'm not worried about them not trying to get us out, but we should at least let them know we survived." He wasn't too optimistic, though, since he remembered something about the building being radiation-resistant, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to try.

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony squeezed Steve’s hand once before he walked towards the suit, which was still leaning up against one of the walls. “On it,” he said, crouching down to pick up the helmet. “Pretty sure we won’t get any signal out,” he told Steve, even before the HUD came to life. “I think the basement was built specifically to block any sort of radio waves, that’s why I couldn’t scan it in the first place. The others should’ve received our last signal before we walked down here, so I don’t think there’s any real need to worry just yet.”

True to his words, FRIDAY didn’t respond to any query. He did have access to all of the latest data, though, including the team’s communication protocol. FRIDAY had auto-sent a danger warning to all of the others as soon as the building had collapsed.

“They know what happened. They don’t know we made it, but I assume they would be looking for our bodies anyway.”

 

*** S ***

"Morbid," Steve commented, surveying the shelves along the walls. "Can you check if this place will hold?" he asked absently, and on a second thought, reached to grab something from the top shelf. He considered it for a beat, before letting out an amused snort and deciding that would _definitely_ do.

He stepped away from the shelves and approached Tony. "And how long do you think we have till they find us?"

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony resumed scanning the room. The offline HUD wasn’t all that informative—FRIDAY’s live-calculations were missing, and however impartial those were on a good day, that left him with only the basic functions. He hummed absentmindedly, signaling Steve that he was still on it, while he quickly ran through the numbers. Part of the basement had crashed apparently, but there weren’t any movements on this side and even if— _when_ —the others would be removing the rubble above their heads, they’d be in no immediate danger.

“We should be fine, as far as I can tell. There’s a twenty to twenty-five feet layer of debris above our heads, and it should all be removable without much of a problem. I, uh… think they’ll be able to find us in three hours. Four, maybe.”

 

*** S ***

The wide grin on Steve's face was unrepentant in the best of ways. He left his finding next to the rest of the armor and slowly approached Tony from behind. "Yeah? That's good news." He didn't even bother keeping his interest out of his voice. "And air supply?" he asked, mostly to keep Tony distracted as he advanced and reached to wrap his arms around him, hands immediately moving to zip down the pants on his undersuit.

 

**~ T. ~**

“The, uh, ventilation system broke down, but it looks like there’s a stream of air coming in through the—uh...”

Tony stopped, momentarily confused when he suddenly felt Steve’s hands on his chest, trailing down and instantly starting to undress him. He tried to focus on the numbers that were scrolling down in front of his eyes, but Steve’s fingers were pressing onto him more firmly, the tips moving along his length, and that was, that was just…

He grabbed for the suit’s helmet, pulling it off and letting it drop to the floor. It was his tech, it could take it. He moved around in Steve’s arms, staring up at him intently. “Long story short: We won’t suffocate. That enough?”

 

*** S ***

"Plenty," Steve said, his tone quiet, private, as he leaned down to nudge Tony's head aside so he could get at his throat. His hand kept the constant tease to Tony's cock, which peeked through the unzipped suit, while his other hand sneaked around to rest on the small of his back, pulling him close against himself.

"Three hours, enough air, candle light and radio silence? How's that for a date?" He murmured, lips brushing over Tony's smooth skin.


	3. 3.00 A.M.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The writers duly apologize for the delay.  
> One more chapter to go!

**~ T. ~**

“Great date,” Tony answered, smiling as he let his head fall back to give Steve better access. “And the… ambience,” he breathed with a little hitch, as Steve’s teeth skimmed along his throat. “Really unique. Great choice of fun activity, too. You… you really know how to spoil a guy.”

Steve’s circling fingers were gaining speed, and of their own volition, Tony’s legs drifted apart, his clothed feet sliding soundlessly on the stone floor. The answering chuckle in his ear just flared the fire in his groin, and the next sound to escape Tony’s parted lips was undeniably more of a moan. Steve’s fingernails were lightly scratching the sensitive skin of his dick, his touches remained soft, and Tony felt himself going mad from the building tension. Part of him wanted to smack him and tell him to get on with the show, while the rest of him thought he might just orgasm from this alone.

 

*** S ***

"I try," Steve said in response, letting the tease linger before finally taking his hand from Tony's person and pulling back to assess his clothes. He wasn't sure how to get under all of that. The zipper at the front was pretty self explanatory but the rest of it…

"We need to get you out of all this. Think you can help me?" At the very least, the material looked sturdy enough to be put to other uses.

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony cupped Steve’s face and kissed him. His lips were so soft, a fact that never ceased to amaze Tony. Even after hours of fighting, and dishing out the most brutal punches and kicks, his lips were still soft.

He took both of Steve’s hands in his own and led them to his upper body. The underarmor was a complicated mix of fabric and plastic impregnated molecular chains that was both smooth and flexible, and hard and impenetrable. The openings were at both sides of the upper part of the armor, and Tony surrounded Steve’s finger, guiding them until he got the drift and opened the fabric.

He let go of Steve’s hands then, leaving it to him to pull the thing off, while Tony made quick work of his pants. It was easy enough to drag it down his hips, but the legs were tight as hell and Tony snorted when he had to hop up and down a little not to lose balance. “Yeah this is undignified,” he said, and leaned against Steve so he could drag his left foot free.

 

*** S ***

"Who are you trying to impress?" Steve asked as he let the strange material of Tony's undersuit out of his hands and onto the floor, reaching to stabilize him as he got rid of the pants. The suit was tight and springy, which Steve thought would present an excellent way to keep them off the floor.

Unabashed, Steve let his hands touch Tony more teasingly. He slid his fingers along already known paths, poking at sensitive spots and sliding over firm muscles.

 

**~ T. ~**

"I'm mostly trying to get naked," Tony shot back and let the rest of the undersuit fall to the floor. He raised an eyebrow at Steve, who was still very much clothed and apparently not even trying to do something to amend that.

"Déjà vu," Tony exclaimed in mock-outrage, pointing a finger to the middle of Steve's uniform, right where the star was embroidered into the top layer. "Why am I always the naked one? You're the guy with the human-perfection situation going on—you should be the one stripping."

 

*** S ***

Chuckling, Steve ducked his head a little and let go of Tony in favor of starting to work on his own uniform. "Not sure about ‘human-perfection’, but you're right about the rest." He was already unclasping odds and ends on his own clothes, letting them clatter to the ground where they will. He was going to leave some of it on, but it wouldn't be fair to stay clothed again when all he really wanted was to feel Tony's body against his own.

 

**~ T. ~**

"That's the spirit," Tony said, stepping closer and helping Steve get rid of the sturdier parts of his uniform. The radiant light of the small device was casting an eerie glow on Steve's skin and Tony made it a point to press a kiss on every new inch that got revealed. There were a few scratches and bruises from the battle, but they were already fading. "So... you always putting out on first dates?" he asked at some point, grinning widely at the unimpressed expression that made itself home on Steve's face almost instantly.

 

*** S ***

"I usually don't call them dates," Steve said, eyes set on Tony even as he was efficiently ridding himself of his utility belt and pushing down his pants. It was all so fast, and already getting quite hot.

Steve grabbed for Tony then, touching wherever he could, like he could never get enough of him, which he suspected was true. He kissed Tony slowly, but his touch was more urgent. When he pulled them tight together, he couldn't help the small hitch at how their dicks slid so perfectly against one another.

 

**~ T. ~**

"Fair enough," Tony replied as he let Steve crowd him against the wall. They were pressing down against each other, aligned from shoulder to hips, and the friction alone was making Tony's legs a bit shaky. He leaned back against the wall to steady himself, then drawing one leg up Steve's calves and thighs until he pulled his middle flush against him once again.

"God, this is good," he breathed, rolling his hips against Steve and pressing broken moans into his neck. His fingers were digging into Steve's shoulder and... this could be enough, would _have_ to be enough, and yet he wanted— "Want you in me, _fuck_ , we can't really have sex down here, can we?"

 

*** S ***

The sensual drag of flesh against flesh was testing Steve's resolve, Tony so intoxicatingly close and eager… But it was Tony's request, his question, that brought Steve back to his original plan. Yes, they could get off like this, but it wouldn't be as satisfying. Steve's brain was still addled with battle-adrenaline and the dread he'd felt when he saw Tony heading into this building, and he needed to have as much as Tony was willing to give.

"Didn’t know you’re such a quitter…" Steve said against his neck teasingly before pulling back to look at him.

 

**~ T. ~**

“Quitter?” Tony echoed with a raised eyebrow, his tone scandalized. “I’m not a quitter. Just because I won’t take _that_ ,” he pointed down on Steve’s erection, and on a second thought, he gently thumbed its head, “on love and air alone, I’m not a quitter. I mean… big fan of your dick, really, but that’s not gonna be fun for anyone.”

 

*** S ***

"Now you're being silly," Steve said, grinning at Tony even as his dick twitched at the favorable tease. He'd had to stifle a chuckle at Tony's indignant refusal to go dry—He really should know Steve better than that. He reached for Tony's hand and held it in his own before turning him gently towards the suit that was still leaning against the wall beside them. He crouched to pick up the box of vaseline he'd retrieved earlier and presented it to Tony. "Think I'd start anything if I hadn't found this?" He raised an eyebrow in a mild challenge, though he was still smiling.

 

**~ T. ~**

“Oh you sneaky bastard,” Tony said, grinning. He’d never been much of a fan when it came to vaseline, but the glide worked well enough, and if it meant they could actually be doing this now, he wouldn’t be complaining. “Master strategist,” he mumbled absentmindedly as he took the little box from Steve, “If America only knew.”

Steve chuckled at that, and Tony smiled as he slowly opened the lid. He cast him a meaningful glance before he slicked two of his fingers, pressing the box back into Steve’s hand. His head rolled back against the wall, his shoulders giving him leverage while moved his hips forward so he could let his own hand trail towards his opening.

The gasp he released upon the first finger was a little exaggerated—they had been doing this not even twenty-four hours ago, and while he wasn’t loose anymore, one finger wasn’t much of a problem. He pressed his lips to Steve’s jawline, moving the digit around a bit before plunging a second inside. His need was definitely too great to keep it slow right now, and everything else quickly blanked out. He thrust the fingers into his body, grinding his cock against Steve’s, eyes soaking up his wide stare.

 

*** S ***

Steve belatedly realized what was going on. He would’ve given anything to watch Tony teasing himself open, but it was all happening too fast. So he just  kissed Tony fervently before pulling slightly back.

"Next time, you’ll let me watch the whole thing," he said, even as he bodily turned Tony around and took another step back so he could watch at least some of what was happening. With his eyes fixed on Tony's ass and the slow slide of his slick fingers, Steve turned to scoop some of the lube onto his fingers so he could get his own cock slick and ready.

God, he was so hard it wasn't even funny.

 

**~ T. ~**

"Gladly," Tony said, looking at Steve over his shoulder. He leaned one arm against the wall, bracing himself while he scissored his fingers. The squelching noises were obscene, and their only counterpoint were Tony's steady moans and Steve's ragged breathing. All in all, it was almost a bit funny how fast he'd gone from not knowing if he wanted this sort of sex again and craving Steve's dick like he craved nothing more... but looking at him, his eyes fixed on Tony's body like he was the thing he most wanted in life... it probably didn't get much better than that.

"Ready?" he asked eventually, voice ragged as he spread his legs a bit more. He gave himself one more good thrust, making it a point to go in as deep as he could before he pulled his fingers free.

 

*** S ***

Breathing heavily, Steve watched Tony finger-fucking himself, spreading his legs so he could see better, and it was almost too much. He stepped closer again as soon as Tony withdrew his hand, settling his slick cock against Tony's ass.

"What you do to me…" he said as he pressed his chest to Tony's back, face burying in the crook of his neck. He breathed against Tony's hot skin, sliding himself back and forth, wanting to go in already but waiting for Tony to demand it, as he'd learned Tony tended to do when he was getting frustrated.

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony gasped at the first contact, thrusting back slightly and groaning when that didn't get him what he wanted. Steve's voice was low and sensual, leaving him lightheaded and panting.

At this point, every cell in his body screamed with want, and on the next nudge, Tony's head fell back, meeting Steve's shoulder. He leaned sideways, brushing their cheeks against one another. "Don't tease me," he breathed, and—putting one hand on Steve's hips—he moved back a little, taking in the first inch. Each breath came in rapid pants now, each movement punctuated by a long moan.

 

*** S ***

Steve had half a mind to tease him some more just out of spite, but he knew enough was enough, and Tony was already taking matters into his own hands, which Steve was okay with. He was _very_ okay with it, even.

He set both hands on Tony's hips and pressed forward in smooth, slow thrusts, meeting Tony every time he moved back. Soon, he was in to the hilt, engulfed in heat and wetness and pure perfection. "Christ, you’re hot," he murmured, nipping at Tony's neck as he pressed tightly against his body, not yet ready to start pulling out again. "So hot…"

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony braced himself against the wall, listening to the quiet sounds of Steve whispering under his breath, while his body stretched to accommodate him. One of Steve's hands rested over Tony's belly, holding him flush against Steve's warm chest. Tony groaned with pleasure when Steve was completely seated inside of him, and he turned his head aside, trying to catch his eyes.

"Tell me again?" he asked with heavy breaths while he clenched and unclenched around Steve, tentatively wriggling against his groin without actually moving. He felt so full, not just in the physical sense, but fuller than he had ever felt before. It felt as though with Steve at his side, he had found a part of himself again that had been missing for a whole long while.

 

*** S ***

"I love you," Steve whispered next to Tony's ear, obliging him anything because he couldn't really refuse him. The hand not pressing at Tony's belly reached up to anchor itself at Tony's shoulder and he nipped hotly on Tony's skin. "So much. I love you so much…"

He would repeat it as many times as Tony'd ask. He'd do anything he could to make Tony understand how serious he was.

Tony probably wouldn't be able to keep standing like this for much longer, so he kissed him under the ear and pressed tighter against him before pulling him a few paces away from the wall. "Got an idea… Lean against me," he instructed, and carefully lowered them onto their knees on the floor, with Tony's undersuit for cushion. "Okay?"

 

**~ T. ~**

"Yeah," Tony replied after regaining composure. Just getting moved around like this, while Steve was very much buried in him to the hilt, was definitely... something. He let his head fall back against Steve's shoulder, almost going limp against him while brushing his nose along his cheek. "Getting manhandled might become a new kink of mine," he said, smiling, even as he pulled off of Steve's cock for just the slightest bit before moving back.

This wasn't a position that gave him much control of the situation, but Steve had wrapped his arms around him, keeping him upright and close to his chest and somehow he didn't _need_ the control. "Yeah, this will do," he breathed, now pulling off of Steve for real, and sinking back slowly while releasing a long groan into the air.

 

*** S ***

Chuckling at Tony's admission, Steve looked down to where they were connected, meeting Tony’s motions whenever he pressed back. There was something wonderfully attractive about how Tony let him take over. Just the knowledge that he could do what he wanted… and that Tony would meet him thrust for thrust was making him a bit dizzy.

"You're so good to me," he said, not even sure where the words were coming from as he set a pace. It wasn't particularly fast. Steve wanted to concentrate on each move, draw it out as much as he could without losing the edge.

 

**~ T. ~**

The position was new, even for Tony. The way Steve felt as he thrust in and withdrew, touching all those hidden places deep inside him. After a few moments of simply revelling in the sensation, Tony began to move with him, intuitively falling into a steady rhythm.

With every glide, Tony's breath quickened. One hand dropped to the one Steve had pressed against his shoulder, while the other shot upwards to rest on Steve's head. When a subtle shift in position made Steve's cock hit that tender spot inside of him more fully, his name fell from Tony's lips in a long groan, followed by a list of strangled obscenities when Steve held that angle with precision, hitting Tony's prostate over and over again.

Their rhythm was in sync so perfectly, they moved against each other, pressing and pulling, clenching and rolling their hips, deep thrusts and circular pressure. The hoarse sounds that left Tony's lips and the slaps of their bodies rang loudly in the dark space, and Tony's fingers tightened their hold on Steve as his thrusts grew faster.

 

*** S ***

The biggest advantage to the position, as far as Steve was concerned, was the ease with which he could move. Tony clenched around him tighter than usual, making low rumbling growls fall from Steve as he struggled for self control. He took his hand from Tony's shoulder, with Tony's own still clasping on, and reached down to close his fingers around Tony's neglected cock.

"Tell me what you need…" he whispered, though he was still keeping that angle that had Tony all but melt against him. It wouldn't be long, and Steve was fine with that. With the way Tony was all but slumped against him, letting it all happen without any resistance, Steve was ready to reach his climax at any minute, and was holding it back to give Tony a chance to come like this, first.

 

**~ T. ~**

"You," Tony shot back without even thinking about it. It was the only reasonable answer anyway. Right in this moment, Steve was everything he needed, and everything that mattered to him.

He held on to Steve's head for dear life, fingers trembling against his neck while he pressed his back against Steve's chest. With the hand around his dick, moving in perfect sync to Steve's steady thrusts, the pressure built quickly. It radiated from his core, spreading heated flames to the tips of his fingers and the soles of his feet.

 

*** S ***

A helpless groan left him at Tony's single word. Steve knew that even if Tony never said he loved him again, it wouldn't matter. It would be things like this that would make it clear enough. He gave a few sharper thrusts, complementing them with nice, tight strokes to Tony's cock. Trust Tony to say the sappiest thing when Steve was doing everything he could to make him lose all control.

"You have me," he said, short of breath, right against Tony's shoulder. He licked at the skin and nipped on it, decidedly aiming to leave a mark.

 

**~ T. ~**

A muffled sob escaped Tony’s throat when Steve sped up. He was sucking and nibbling at Tony’s neck, pulling the thin skin between his lips to the point of almost-pain. And all Tony could do was turn his head sideways to give Steve better access, fingers taking hold of Steve’s neck and bringing his mouth closer. He loved how Steve took complete control over his body, taking him however he wanted, hurting and soothing, wrecking and mending in any way he pleased.

Tony clutched to him, desperately needing to hold on while all coherent thought failed him. He needed something to keep him grounded as Steve continued to push him towards the edge.

“Harder,” Tony pleaded in a strained voice, repeating it over and over again, breathing heavily. His fingers dug into Steve’s neck as his hips moved back and forth, his back arched, trying to keep Steve’s length inside. He was drowning in sensation, lost in the feel of him, and it went on and on until his hands clawed mindlessly on whatever part of Steve he could find. Every nerve in him was so sensitized that the climax came as an unbelievable rapture.

Steve was thrusting in deep, hitting every sweet spot, and Tony’s mind just whited out, his body losing all posture. He groaned, surrendering entirely to Steve, and came, hard, his cock pulsing against Steve’s fingers.

 

*** S ***

There was a tangible shift when Tony's climax crested. Beyond the lost rhythm and Tony's desperate moans, Steve could feel him clenching, quivering around him. He let go of the last of his control right then, shoving hard against him with every pulsing wave of pleasure, Tony's name on his lips as he came.

Every time they had sex was phenomenal, leaving him awed, but this—whatever had just happened—left him utterly speechless. It took a long moment just to bring the motion to a complete halt, as Steve felt aftershocks rocking Tony's body ever so often, his own body trembling in kind. His hand finally let go of Tony's dick, letting his fingers slide a little upwards, splaying his palm across Tony's belly as he hugged him close. What could he even say now that would do justice to what had just happened?

 

**~ T. ~**

“Holy fucking shit,” Tony mumbled inarticulately, still shaking with the force of his orgasm. His limbs felt like jelly, and everything in the world had dropped away into nothing except for Steve’s breaths against his ear.

“This is just getting better, isn’t it?” he asked, chuckling a bit as he slumped against Steve’s chest, trusting him to take his weight for now; letting Steve hold him, because it felt too comfortable resting in his arms not to stay here. His gentle touch was now a safe haven in the aftermath.

The universe only slowly drifted back into a hazy focus as the tremors of climax gave way to shivery aftershocks. Lifting his head somewhat, Tony glanced up at Steve and couldn’t help the ridiculously satisfied smile that spread across his face. “How do you manage to still make this better?”

 

*** S ***

Steve hummed whenever Tony spoke, not knowing how to respond or not bothering to think of an answer. He pressed his cheek to Tony's neck, his fingers lazily drawing patterns on his abdomen as they sat awkwardly. His legs were starting to go numb, but he wasn't ready to move just yet, acutely aware of how utterly Tony trusted him, letting his entire weight rest against him.

"I'm doing it with you," Steve finally told him. "You're so warm inside," he commented idly then, eyes closing momentarily. "Need me to pull out?"

 

**~ T. ~**

“Never,” Tony answered, the word slightly slurred. Being connected to Steve like this was most definitely one of his favorite things in the world. When he shifted, though, his knees throbbed uncomfortably, the pressure on his kneecaps was definitely too much and yeah… he wasn’t exactly twenty anymore.

“My, uh, knees kind of do, though, sorry,” he admitted, even while he entwined their fingers again and pulled Steve’s hand to his lips, kissing its back. He slowly pulled off of Steve, only groaning once when his cock plopped out, leaving him empty. He turned back around while sitting back on his feet and took Steve’s hand in his. The room around them was still quiet, still dark where the light didn’t reach, and maybe he was imagining it, but the air felt a little thinner already.

 

*** S ***

Steve winced sympathetically at the mentioning of Tony's knees. His own knees weren't all that thrilled about the hard tiles they'd been kneeling on, either, so he could only imagine how much worse it must be for Tony. The loss of heat was definitely regrettable, but not too bad, since they stayed close enough.

Slowly, Steve moved to alleviate the pressure from his own calves, and only looked back up to Tony when he felt him reach for his hand.

 

**~ T ~**

Rubbing a thumb along Steve’s palm, Tony smiled at him. “I’m really happy we’re here, you know?” he asked, smiling even when Steve raised a questioning eyebrow at him. “Well, not _here_ -here, obviously. This isn’t exactly cozy, and we could still sort-of-die down here, but... I’m just not sure we would be here if it hadn’t been for Natasha and her little bar-setup, I tend to be blind towards things that might be good for me, and I’m just… glad we got that chance.”

 

*** S ***

"Yeah…" he said, slinging both arms around Tony's waist and holding him close. "I wouldn't have thought this, you and me, could work out if it hadn't been for that bar meeting." He rested his chin on Tony's head, breathing in the scent of shampoo, sweat and metal. "We should probably thank Natasha somehow…"

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony hummed in agreement, and when Steve pulled back, he leaned up to press a kiss against his lips. “Pretty sure teasing us is all the reward she wanted, but yeah, I’ll think of something nice.” He grinned, nipping at Steve’s lower lip and biting it slightly before he slotted their mouths together again. He sat up, and his knees weren’t all that pleased, but he only needed to move forward a bit before he could settle in Steve’s lap comfortably. He cupped both of his cheeks, trailing feathery kisses all over his face. He pressed their chests together, and while he felt sticky and sweaty in so many ways, he didn’t want to get dressed again, just yet.

“I have that place in the Maldives,” he said. “It’s warm all year around. We could give her a little time out… Maybe fly there afterwards, ourselves. If we can’t make a proper date, maybe we can get away with a vac—”

It wasn’t a loud crash that stopped Tony’s words, just a subdued whooshing sound. At first, he’d thought something on the now-crooked supply shelves had fallen to the floor, but when he looked up, he stared directly into the serene face of Vision.

“That was fast,” Tony commented idly. He didn’t know how long they’d been here, but it sure hadn’t been three hours.

 

*** S ***

Steve had about a second to think that going to the maldives for a date would be an overkill to end all overkills. But the thought soon escaped him, as he realized someone was suddenly standing next to them, reminding him that he and Tony were both buck naked.

He glanced over his shoulder to find Vision standing there, eyes set on them with a sort of apathy that was at once eerie and soothing. "Uh…"

"The Hulk and Scarlet Witch are ready to lift the debris blocking the exit," Vision said in his calm, even tone. "You might want to dress up and move out of the way." He stood still, watching them expectantly for long seconds. Something about the play of muscles or light on Vision's face changed, and Steve could've sworn his impassive expression had somehow shifted into a smug one.

"Do you mind?" Steve asked when it became clear he wasn't going to avert his gaze. It was awkward enough as is, but Vision's face broke into a small smile, giving Steve a feeling he'd done all of that on purpose to make them squirm. He would have to have words with him, later, about respect of others' privacy.

Steve glanced to Tony then with a raised eyebrow, as Vision turned around. “‘Three hours’, was it?”

 

**~ T. ~**

“Not so easy to factor in superpowers, okay?” Tony shot back as he made to stand, offering Steve a hand to pull himself up. It took a moment before Tony found his footing, his legs feeling weightless and numb at the same time. “Well, this is mortifying.”

Steve looked adorably put-out about being caught literally with his pants down, and Tony was _going_ to say something along the line of ‘If the guy’s worthy to carry Thor’s hammer, he might as well see your junk, too’, but now probably wasn’t the time for jokes.

“You’re actually just gonna stand there, are you?” Tony asked as he bent down to grab for his undersuit. It would be a bitch to get back into it like this, and hygiene was a far-away concept, but he guessed that’s what the cleaning protocol was for.

“I was asked to see that you are both not crushed by debris,” Vision answered. “And I intend to agree with Natasha whenever I can.”

Wobbling around a bit, moving from one leg to another, Tony somehow managed to put the undersuit back on. Next to him, Steve had his pants on already, stepping into both boots.  “Smart,” Tony commented distractedly, zipping himself up.

Vision smiled as he turned around, as if sensing that they were both mostly decent again. “I _did_ learn from the best,” he commented, and the words had Tony stop in his tracks. He glanced up at Vision, and while his expression was both apathetic and full of… this weird sort of worldly wisdom… there was also something he had never seen before.

Something warm and, maybe even a little affectionate.

Or maybe Tony was just seeing things.

“You… have,” Tony managed to say, frowning when it came out as more of a question.

Vision’s mouth twitched with another smile as he stepped closer, motioning them to the wall. “I suggest you step into the armor, and Captain, you should be using your shield, just in case.” He turned around, glancing at the ceiling just as a first _thump_ was heard.

Tony moved, activating the suit and stepping into it. He pulled Steve against him, making sure he was covered by the shield’s width. “Great date,” he said before the noise became too loud. His faceplate was still up and he cast Steve a likely embarrassingly lovestruck smile, winding Iron Man’s fingers around Steve’s.

 

*** S ***

"Unique," Steve answered, smiling at Tony's face, encased in the Iron Man helmet. "We can at least be sure we're original."

It was then that the debris moved at the far end of the basement, where they'd entered the place. A large cloud of dust rose as concrete showered into the space. Vision stepped closer, but mercifully he wasn't looking at them.

It took a while for the dust to settle, but when it did, Steve could see the Hulk on the edge of the collapsed building with Wanda standing a little ways behind him, and the night sky obscured everything behind them.


	4. 3 years later, 8:00 P.M.

 

 

*** S ***

It was already dark outside, and Steve shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He stood in front of the entrance, eyes on the large sign above the door. He was dressed in a casual jacket and one of his nicer button downs, feeling at once under _and_ overdressed.

What had seemed a cute, funny idea, was now more daunting than he'd expected.

_Am I really doing this?_ he thought, then steeled himself and walked through the doors.

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony’s mouth dropped open. “He’s _where_?” he asked Sam, who had somehow managed to sprawl his body all across the couch, munching popcorn as he glanced up at Tony. The sun had just set, bathing the skyscrapers outside in a dark hue. In the background, some kind of action movie was playing and Clint was waving his arms at him with a very bored expression, trying to get him to move out of the way.

“Some bar in Brooklyn, I don’t know which one, man,” Sam said, raising his hands defensively.

“He said he needed some time out,” Clint supplied. “No big.”

_No big?_ Tony echoed in his mind, rubbing his forehead. No, this was _most definitely_ big. He’d just returned from an overseas meeting with a new subsidiary company, coming home early and wanting nothing more than to go upstairs to Steve’s and his floor, and curl up in his boyfriend’s arms.

And now this.

If Steve was going to ‘the’ bar while Tony was away on business meetings, and didn’t tell him, maybe he, he...

_No_. Tony took a deep calming breath and walked away from the sofa area. Steve obviously wouldn’t be cheating on him. Steve was a good guy, _the_ good guy, and more importantly: they were happy—still happy, even after three years and counting. After a rocky start, they had ended up becoming one of those sickeningly cute couples that still kissed and hugged and caressed each other whenever they had the chance. They bickered and argued, too, sure… sometimes more than Tony was comfortable with, but they loved each other, they _did_.

Steve loved him. And if he went to the bar sometimes to have a drink or something, that simply didn’t mean anything.

 

*** S ***

Steve found his spot at the counter. It had been years since he'd been here, but he remembered exactly he’d sat down back then. After placing an order, Steve looked around and let himself turn inwards. He saw a few guys sitting around a table on the far corner of the place, one of them wearing a cast on his left arm. They were probably celebrating that guy's release from the hospital, Steve mused, noting the bruises and the darkened skin on his cheek.

Steve hated hospitals with a passion.

 

_1 year earlier_

_The constant beeping of the machines around Tony's bed served as a reminder that he wasn't just idly sleeping in the cot in his lab, or on their bed after a few sleepless nights. It had been stupid, ill judgment that had gotten Tony distracted enough that he got knocked out of the sky. And no matter how much Steve tried to keep the guilt at bay, it kept nagging at him._

_He'd been sitting by Tony's bed all night, watching his bruised face, tracing the line of Tony's arm and his fingers. He silently urged Tony to wake up already, but several hours of waiting had left him fatigued and strangely off-kilter._

_"Wake up, Tony," he finally said, quiet but audible, his hand clutching onto Tony's as tight as he allowed himself, not wanting to hurt him but having the absurd faith that it would somehow help bring him back faster._

_A sweet sense of relief washed over Steve when Tony's eyes opened only seconds later and scanned the room. That sharp gaze fell on him the next moment and lit with recognition. Steve couldn't help the undignified expression he had on his face at that moment, both despair and anger, guilt and joy all wrapped up in one. He leaned over to kiss Tony, foul breath and all. Nothing would deter Steve from kissing him at that point._

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony stood in front of his car, staring down at the handle of the driver’s door. He _knew_ he shouldn’t go. He wasn’t the jealous type, never had been, and Steve certainly had never given him any reasons to worry.

If Steve needed to have a few hours of quiet, going someplace where he wasn’t confronted with the craziness of their superhero life, he had every right to do so. That this ‘place’ just happened to be the bar he’d used to go to pick up a one night stand, well, that was just a coincidence, wasn’t it?

It didn’t _mean_ anything.

It just meant Tony really shouldn’t drive to Brooklyn now to make a scene.

Knowing that, however, didn’t stop Tony from opening the car and starting the ignition. He sighed. He could always say he’d just happened to make a little detour after his meeting, going out for a drink, and meeting Steve there had been a _huge_ surprise.

Yeah, right.

Even when Tony had been on the front pages for a whole two weeks, Steve had never once distrusted him. A paparazzi had taken photographs of him leaving a hotel suite with his business partner, who happened to also be an attractive, young a woman Tony Stark was allegedly cheating on him with. Tony had ranted and raved on the millions he’d be suing the guy for and Steve just…

Tony groaned, rubbing his forehead, even as he sped up the car, staring into the dark evening sky.

 

_19 months earlier_

_“I can explain,” Tony called as he stumbled into the penthouse. Steve had only moved in two days ago and there were still boxes and bags strewn all around. “Steve?” He raised his voice, panicking, because he knew Steve was there, FRIDAY had said so, and if he didn’t answer him, that could only mean—_

_“In here,” Steve answered and that came from the bedroom. When Tony walked through the door, he saw Steve standing at the window front, a tablet in his hand, and yes, those were very much the pictures of Tony hugging the admittedly pretty hot sales lady, and why exactly had he put an arm around her shoulder and leaned in the way he had? It looked as if he’d been about to kiss her, and it was stupid, so stupid. He knew Steve must’ve read about his reputation at some point, and this had the potential to end up_ so _bad._

_Looking up, Tony realized Steve’s shoulders were shaking. He still hadn’t turned around and_ good God _, he’d made Steve cry, hadn’t he? Steve thought Tony was cheating on him, and they’d_ just _moved in together, fuck it all._

_“Please let me explain,” Tony echoed again, taking a few cautious step in Steve’s direction. “It’s not what you think, I promise.”_

_There was a sob, or no, not a sob, it was a…  snort? And that… that was definitely a laugh. What the hell?_

_Tony walked closer, as Steve turned around, looking up at him with amused mirth. He held up the tablet, turning it so Tony could read. “You have to admit, some headlines are kind of funny.”_

_“Funny,” Tony echoed, still a bit unsure about the whole situation, but apparently, this wasn’t a big deal to Steve. So he took a deep breath and wound his arm around Steve’s middle. “So I guess you’re not breaking up with me.” He tried hard not to phrase it as a question, but it was no use._

_However, Steve just smiled, still chuckling lightly as he pulled Tony close. “I trust you. You can quit freaking out about it.”_

_“Who’s freaking out?” Tony asked, snorting against Steve’s mouth as he pulled him into a long kiss. “I think I got two speeding tickets on my way here.”_

_Steve shrugged. “Good thing your ‘hot new lady bunny’ is rich.”_

_Tony laughed. “Good thing indeed.”_

 

*** S ***

The drink had been sitting in front of Steve for a while untouched as he mused. He finally took it in hand and drank down half the glass. What was taking Tony so long? Surely he would be here by now if all went according the plan. Steve was only mildly worried, though. Tony had a tendency to lose touch with time and the world at large. Smiling at the thought, Steve palmed his pocket and lifted his gaze to survey the room again.

 

_2 years ago, First Anniversary_

_It was true that Steve had told Tony to not buy him a huge stuffed animal, but to ignore it altogether seemed a bit much. So Steve had planned something to celebrate. It was nothing fancy, but he had made sure FRIDAY had it down in Tony’s calendar so he wouldn’t forget. It was already an hour and a half past the set time, and there was no sign of Tony._

_Steve glanced over at the plastic bag sitting on the table in the never-used dining area and sighed. He’d honestly thought the present was clever, but with Tony being so late, he wasn't even sure he wanted to give it to him._

_"Captain Rogers," FRIDAY chimed in. Steve thought he'd never quite get used to her kind of monotone. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm afraid Mr. Stark might not make it to your appointment."_

_"You think?" Steve asked, letting sarcasm drip from his tone despite his best efforts to be polite._

_"He has been struggling with a formula for the past five hours, and has not responded to my reminders. I suspect he might be ignoring me," she said, and Steve was surprised to detect a touch of sadness in her voice._

_"Shocking," Steve said, heaving a sigh and getting to his feet. He grabbed the bag and headed for the elevator. "Take me to him."_

_When Steve walked into the lab, he was a little taken aback by the state of chaos the place was in. Tony was hunched over the worktable, soldering… something. Steve couldn't tell what it was, exactly. When he cleared his throat, Tony started so badly, he dropped his soldering gun._

_"Warn a guy, will you?" Tony retorted slowly, straightening up and taking in Steve's tux. Steve gave him his impassive look, and he could see Tony's expression shift through recognition and into horror. He approached Tony, and when he took in a breath to speak, Steve stopped him with a shake of his head._

_"This is for you," Steve said, handing him the bag. "We can reschedule the dinner, but try not to forget, next time." He leaned in and kissed Tony's cheek—the one not stained with oil. Tony was peering into the bag before Steve could take a step back._

_"What the hell," Tony said, eyes set on the bag, as he pulled out the Captain America teddy bear Steve had gotten him. “Are you serious?”_

_Steve chuckled. "I only said no_ ‘huge’ _stuffed animals. Besides, I thought you might want company when I'm out on missions."_

_"Captain America, master strategist and secretly a little shit," Tony said, inspecting the teddy bear from all angles, before he grinned up at him. "Thanks," he added, and leaned up for a kiss._

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony parked the car just around the corner. Walking up to the bar’s entrance. There was light techno buzzing its way into the cold air, and Tony pulled his coat further around himself.

So, this had the potential to end very bad, and he had no idea where to go from here if his worst suspicions really came true. He loved Steve like he never loved anyone in his life. It had taken him a while to even voice those words, but the feeling had been there from the start.

 

_2 and a half years earlier_

_Clenching around him, Tony leaned forward to place his chin in the crook of Steve’s neck. He clutched his shoulders and kissed his skin, savoring his fragrance. Rocking faster, he clasped Steve, as he began to shake. "Love you," he breathed against Steve’s ear. It was about the fourth time he’d said it (and also the reason for Steve all but carting him off to one of the Helicarrier’s debriefing rooms just short of five minutes before meeting up with Fury), and Steve still shuddered whenever he did. "Love you, love you, Steve, so much, oh God..."_

_Eyes shut, mouth agape, Tony climaxed, his walls throbbing around Steve. He only just swallowed a loud groan, gritting his teeth as he pressed his lips against Steve’s shoulder._

_Gasping, Steve relaxed his grip around him, fingers on Tony’s hips slipping. "Love you, too."_

_"Debriefing in three!" a voice shouted from the hallway._

_A mutual sigh. Tony blinked as their foreheads touched. “Think they heard us?”_

_“Probably,” Steve mumbled, kissing his cheek. “Loudmouth.”_

_Tony snorted. “Kettle… pot…”_

_Steve smiled. He leaned in for another kiss, then nudged Tony up. Pulling out and setting him back down on the floor, he reached for a tissue on the shelf next to them. Tony quickly swabbed himself with, then moved forward to clean Steve off, too._

_"You look completely ravaged," Steve commented, smoothing down Tony’s hair._

_"Don’t worry," Tony replied, shrugging. "If anyone gets suspicious, you can distract them with one of your 'We Have To Be Prepared. Something's Coming But It Certainly Isn’t Me' speeches."_

_Steve snorted, tossing the tissues into a basket before bending down to pull his pants up. "That’s not why I make them."_

_With a wink, Tony leaned up and kissed Steve, reveling in the warm look on his face._

_“Thanks for telling me,” Steve whispered._

_Tony nodded, wrapping his hands around Steve’s. “Thanks for waiting til I could.”_

 

*** S ***

Steve shifted in his chair and glanced at the inconspicuous clock behind the bartender. What was taking Tony so long? Did he not see Steve's note? What if he was in trouble and Steve was busy sitting here like an idiot?

He shook his head. Of course nothing like that was happening. The Avengers would've contacted him if there was any sort of trouble. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head again. This was ridiculous. Tony would be here any minute and Steve's head was all twisted out of shape. He had no idea how to broach the subject. Silly, because Steve knew Tony loved him, and he loved Tony. Steve rested his fists on the counter and sighed. It should be easy enough to just… ask.

Maybe if he wrote down how he wanted to say it…

"Excuse me," Steve said, waving the bartender over. "Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?" he asked, smiling pleasantly at the man. He handed over the items the next moment and Steve thanked him before turning his attention to them, jotting down a few short sentences to get himself focused.

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony forced his feet to the door and carried himself across the threshold. He hadn’t bothered to change clothes before coming here, too busy freaking out about what he might find. And though it sort of surprised him that he was able to care at all about his appearance right now, the part of him concerned with Steve dumping him in about five minutes burned with the need to at least look the part while he did so.

It didn’t matter. No matter how difficult the confrontation might be, Tony knew it would only grow worse if he kept mulling it over. The more he thought about it, the harder it became to find a reason why Steve would come here. This bar was a place to hook up for casual sex or, sometimes, for a new relationship. It wasn’t the ‘I just want to socialize’ kind of place, coming here _meant_ something, and if Steve…

Tony groaned with irritation. It was no use. He needed to confront Steve about it. If he wanted to… whatever he wanted… Tony might as well find out about it now.

When he stepped into the bar, the hammering in his chest just confirmed how very much not ready he had been for this. For the image of Steve sitting at the bar, right next to two guys, all dressed up nicely, and writing down something that was likely his phone number or whatever.

Tony felt that soft, near-dead glow of hope die completely. The guys next to Steve were laughing, and while Steve’s face remained impassive, and weirdly concentrated, this scene was very much self-explanatory.

Tony clenched both of his hands, and stormed forward before he even knew what he was doing. He approached Steve with a firm stride, and when he looked up, Tony shot back all the irritation he was feeling.

 

*** S ***

Steve glanced up when he caught movement out the corner of his eye. He instinctively covered the note and pulled it towards himself, not wanting anyone to see what he was writing, but when he saw Tony's face all other thoughts flew out of his head. What the hell happened?

Tony looked… He looked awful. It looked like he was ready to collapse right in front of him, or maybe tear down the whole establishment. So much anger and hurt and… disappointment. Steve wasn't sure how to even address it.

"Tony, what—" he started saying, hoping he didn't sound too confused.

 

**~ T. ~**

“You need ‘some time out’,” Tony quoted, and he really wished his voice wouldn’t be so overwhelmed with emotion. He cleared his throat, straightening up. “Is that it? Is it… do you need space?”

Steve was about to open his mouth, but Tony just held up a hand. “I _know_ you wouldn’t cheat on me, you’re _you_ , and I trust you, but if you come here—”

 

*** S ***

"What?" Steve wasn't sure he was even following Tony's line of thought. "What are you talking about?" _Time out?_ Where did that come from? Steve shook his head and, dropping the pen on the counter, tried to reach for him. "What's gotten into you?"

 

**~ T. ~**

“Me?” Tony asked, his irritation spiking. He shook his head, then angrily snatched the piece of paper from under Steve’s hand. “I’m not the one who’s giving his number to random guys, so the real question is what has gotten into _you_?”

At that he unfolded the paper Steve had tried to scrunch up, and let his eyes drift over the scribbles. Over Steve’s neat handwriting, the few scratched out words, but also…

His brain was too busy reeling in surprise to really catch on a decent thought. The most useful he could come up with was ‘Well, this is embarrassing’. The guys next to Steve had looked up at him at some point, casting him pitiful looks. Tony probably still looked like he’d seen a ghost and he couldn’t find it in him to control his facial expression.

“Uhm…” Tony eventually said, frowning at the paper once again. There were all those things written down there. Things like ‘Spend the rest of my life with you’ and ‘Don’t care about you zoning out over some project’ and ‘I’ll make you breakfast in the mornings for the rest of your life’ and half of it was crossed out again but at the end of the note, there was a big fat ‘Marry me?’ and there was really no way to misunderstand that.

“Well, this is embarrassing,” Tony said, coming back to his only decent thought and glancing up at Steve, who… had a ring in his hand, while awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

 

*** S ***

"I was gonna…" Steve gestured at the piece of paper vaguely. "I was gonna get rid of that and ask you properly. I…" He ducked his head. "I wrote you a note at home, I'm guessing you didn't find it, huh?"

Slowly, Tony shook his head, confirming his suspicion.

He looked at the ring in his hand, then held it out for Tony. "I was going to do this uh," _not like this_ came to mind, but Steve simply cleared his throat and allowed himself a small, careful smile. "Well, will you?" he asked, not bothering to try and hide the hope in his voice.

 

**~ T. ~**

There was a long beat of silence. Then Tony huffed, putting the paper down. He still felt dazed, completely off his game. This had easily been the worst hour of his life and while he loved Steve, this had been a _horrible_ plan to end all plans.

“Let me get this straight. You put a note in the penthouse, hoping that I’d go up there before actually looking for you. And now you’re proposing to me in this total dump of a gay bar, just because we hooked up here? This is…” He pursed his lips, pointing to the folded paper with a pointedly unsatisfied glance. “This is kind of a lame plan, all things considered. I don’t think I can say yes to that.” He raised his shoulders, shrugging apologetically. “Guess you gonna have to do better than that.”

 

*** S ***

Staring at him, Steve let the words sink in. He could understand Tony wasn't exactly happy about the whole ordeal, but he honestly didn't expect a total rejection. He swallowed once, then looked down at the ring in his palm. It was a titanium alloy recommended by FRIDAY, a simple, smoothed out band. Steve had figured Tony wouldn't want anything more sophisticated to get in the way of his work. And now it was rendered useless.

Only the next moment did he understand what Tony was actually saying, which made his gaze snap back to him, this time his eyebrows were raised in clear surprise.

"You want me to do this _again_?" he asked, indignant as he closed his hand around the ring.

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony schooled his expression as he leaned his hip against the bar counter. Slowly, the fact that Steve was _proposing_ to him, that he wanted to actually _marry_ him, had sunken in. It made Tony feel strangely giddy.

Getting married had never made it on his bucket list. With Steve, though… Marrying him wouldn’t be about putting a label on their love, it would just be that: saying yes for the sake of it. Giving Steve yet another declaration, with no second meaning at all. And having everyone know that Steve was _his_ , and that Tony belonged to Steve forever and…

And it was really becoming hard not to smile and kiss him right then.

“Well, I would’ve expected a bed of roses, or… fireworks. A trip to Paris would’ve been nice, too. There’s people who rent a whole theater company to pop the question. This…” He waved at the bar in general, “...is pretty mediocre, don’t you think?”

 

*** S ***

Chuckling despite himself, Steve shook his head and reached his free hand to tentatively take one of Tony's. He could tell, from his posture and the way his voice came softer, that the worst of Tony's anger was over.

"You know I'm not really a man of grand gestures," Steve said then, leaning over and looking into his eyes. "And I wanted to do this where… Where it all started, I guess." He tilted his head and pressed a light kiss to Tony's cheek. "If you want something more extravagant, you're gonna have to tell me what it is you want."

 

**~ T. ~**

“Nah,” Tony said, unable to stop his mouth from tilting into a half-smile. He tried to get a glimpse at the ring, but Steve still had his hand closed around it. “That sounds exhausting. Think I might just take what I’ve got here and leave it to you to make up for this… very _very_ disappointing proposal.”

 

*** S ***

"Hey, you're the one spoiling it by making a scene," Steve said, mock defensive even as he got out of the bar-chair and stood closer to Tony. He took the hand he'd been holding and pulled it up, eyes searching Tony's. "But I'll take that deal," he said, quieter, smiling affectionately as he turned to press the ring against Tony’s fingers.

"I'll make it up to you every day."

 

**~ T. ~**

Tony couldn’t help the large, beaming smile that took control of his face. This was just… kind of crazy. And also likely the best thing that had ever happened to him.

“I’ll hold you to that,” he said, just as Steve had slipped the ring on his finger, brushing his thumb over it reverently. “One condition, though. You will never leave it to Clint again to pass on any sort of message to me, because hearing that you need ‘time out’, going to _the_ New Yorker hook-up bar for that, was one step from giving me a mental breakdown.”

 

*** S ***

"I did _not_ leave it to Clint," Steve retorted defensively even as he wrapped his free arm around Tony. "I told him whatever I needed to shut him up. Why do you even listen to him? Half the time he's just wisecracking." He huffed, leaning down to kiss him tentatively.

Despite it being much more dramatic than he'd planned, Tony had actually said _yes_ , which was a small miracle in and of itself. Steve was so full of happiness he thought he might burst. He pressed his forehead to Tony's and closed his eyes, breathing slowly.

"Thanks for having me," he whispered. He knew he had many misgivings, one of which was his lack of tact. He was often headstrong and unyielding, and had spectacular disregard to collateral damage. He was the kind of guy who'd set out to propose at a gay bar. The kind who jumped out of airplanes on a regular basis, implicitly trusting his boyfriend— _fiance_ —to catch him before he became a smudge on the ground.

All in all, he wasn't an easy person to deal with, and neither was Tony. And that made them kind of perfect for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, folks!  
> Thanks for joining us on this adventure of a series!


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